Jeff Berkowitz: Are you open to it? A few months ago you said [on Tom Roeser’s Political Shoot-out] you were open to it [Concealed Carry] ********************************* Jeff Berkowitz: All right, let’s go over to capital punishment. We have capital punishment in this state—there is a moratorium [on executions] …by George Ryan. A lot of people say that capital punishment deters—some people have done studies and they say, for every capital punishment, you deter [on average] four or five murders.

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr. I don’t believe it.***************************Tonight's City of Chicago and City of Aurora editions of Public Affairs features Chicago Alderman Howard Brookins, Jr. (D-Chicago), who is running in the Democratic Primary for State's Attorney of Cook County

Brookins debates and discusses with show host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz a broad range of State's Attorney public policy issues. ************************************************************************ The show with Brookins airs through-out the City of Chicago tonight [Oct. 29] at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] and tonight at 7:30 pm on Aurora Community Television, on Comcast Cable Ch. 10 in Aurora and some surrounding areas. The Aurora station reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.***********************You may also watch the show with State's Attorney candidate Brookins, along with other recently posted shows, including State's Attorney Candidates Comm. Suffredin and Ald. Allen, Senator Cullerton, Rep. Lang (D-Chicago), Rep. Hamos (D-Evanston) and Senator Garrett (D-Lake Forest), 14th CD Republican Primary candidate Mayor Kevin Burns and former Senator Rauschenberger on your computer at PublicAffairsTV.com.

In addition to those shows, prior shows on the "Public Affairs," podcast page feature Presidential candidates Obama, Giuliani, Richardson, McCain and Cox, and many other pols, including Obama-Bean in April, 2006, Congresswoman Bean in January, 2006 and Congresswoman Schakowsky in October, 2005 and opinion makers. You may also watch these "Public Affairs," shows and others at www.itunes.com*****************************************************************Having trouble watching the Suffredin, Brookins and Allen trilogy on the Public Affairs podcast page or at Itunes.com? Not to worry, you can now go here to watch them all on YouTube.com , as well other Public Affairs shows, e.g., our extended interview with Presidential candidate Gov. Bill Richardson. I am told that almost anybody who has a computer should be able to access Youtube, so no longer will you have an excuse for not watching Public Affairs, as all of our shows, going forward, and many prior ones, will posted on YouTube.com. **********************************Tonight's City of Chicago and City of Aurora edition of "Public Affairs," is the second in a trilogy of State’s Attorney candidate shows. The three guests featured are the top tier candidates for State’s Attorney of Cook County in the Democratic Party, to be held on February 5, 2007. Next week’s show in the City features Chicago Ald. Tom Allen (38th Ward), who follows Comm. Suffredin and Ald. Brookins. In the Chicago Metro suburbs, 14th year Chicago Alderman, Tom Allen, is airing this week on Public Affairs. ***********************************************For more on tonight's show, topics and the guest, go here. **********************************For a compare and contrast of State's Attorney Candidates Suffredin, Brookins and Allen, go here. ******************************A partial transcript of tonight's show is included, directly, below. ***********************************************Absence of public corruption prosecutions under State’s Attorney Dick Devine

Jeff Berkowitz: Should that office, the State’s Attorney office, be doing a lot more about public corruption? It’s basically been doing nothing—

Ald. and Cook County State’s Attorney Candidate in Democratic Primary, Howard Brookins, Jr.: It has absolutely been doing nothing—

Jeff Berkowitz: For the last two decades, right? You had Don Tomczak, that [was handled by] the U. S. Attorney. You had Sorich, that [was handled by] the U. S. Attorney…Hired Truck, Hired Tow, Hired Thief, whatever, that’s all being pursued by the U. S. Attorney, right? Devine ain’t done squat.

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: (D-Chicago, 21st Ward). Nothing.

Jeff Berkowitz: Would that be accurate? Would you agree? Has he done squat?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I don’t believe he has done enough.

Jeff Berkowitz: Nada, zero. Why is that?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I have no idea…

Jeff Berkowitz: Are you critical of Devine for that?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I am highly critical of Devine because of the main thing—

Jeff Berkowitz: For that? For not doing more on public corruption?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr. Because of the main thing—It affects African-American communities. When there are people—the Duff family—who are robbing the hope of a [African-American] community to get a mere, meager possibly of 25%--

Jeff Berkowitz: So, why isn’t Devine doing that? Is that because he is a good bud with Mayor Daley?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: Well, you tell me.

Jeff Berkowitz: No, you tell me, you’re the candidate.

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I can’t get into his head. But, it appears that anything where it comes to ruffling feathers, that office hasn’t done it. That office—

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I am highly critical of the office for not doing anything on public—

Jeff Berkowitz: But, he heads the office, so you can’t be critical of the office without being critical of him [Devine], can you?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: Well, absolutely. Of him and the office. But, he doesn’t make 100% of the decisions. We also have two opponents [from the office] who are running. They are in the [State’s Attorney’s] office and they are in a decision making role.

Jeff Berkowitz: Milan and Alvarez? They have to take a hit for anything that has gone wrong?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: Absolutely. Absolutely, my chief of Staff would take a hit for anything that I have done. ******************************************** Time to bring back Capital Punishment?

Jeff Berkowitz: All right, let’s go over to capital punishment. We have capital punishment in this state—there is a moratorium [on executions] …by George Ryan. A lot of people say that capital punishment deters—some people have done studies and they say, for every capital punishment, you deter [on average] four or five murders.

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I don’t believe it.

Jeff Berkowitz: You don’t believe it. You don’t think it deters?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I don’t.

Jeff Berkowitz: You oppose capital punishment?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I am for the moratorium and I oppose capital punishment.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, you don’t want to see it brought back, ever, right?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I don’t want to see it brought back.

Jeff Berkowitz: You would like to see it legislated out of existence.

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I would like to see it legislated out of existence.

Jeff Berkowitz: How are you going to deter people from multiple murders? ******************************************** More guns, less crime?

Jeff Berkowitz: More guns, less crime. You’ve heard that saying?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I’ve heard that saying.

Jeff Berkowitz: You think it is wrong?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I think that with respect to gun control, I will be tough with respect to the laws that are on the books but I don’t believe that it is more laws that are going to do the trick.

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, right now, in the City of Chicago, if you are in a tough area, and you think you would like to have a gun to protect yourself in your home, it is illegal to possess that gun, right?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: It is absolutely illegal to possess—

Jeff Berkowitz: You think that’s right, you think somebody should be able to have a gun in his home to protect himself?

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: Illegal to possess a handgun, let’s mention—I’ve said it on the floor [of the City Council] that I believe that responsible people, under circumstances, ought to have guns. The problem is—

Jeff Berkowitz: To protect themselves.

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: To protect themselves.

Jeff Berkowitz: The law--Concealed carry. Should somebody, if they get a permit—

Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.: I won’t go that far. I won’t go that far.

Jeff Berkowitz: Are you open to it? A few months ago you said [on Tom Roeser’s Political Shoot-out] you were open to it [Concealed Carry]